Great Britain are looking forward to a second successive women’s Olympic semi-final as they swept aside the tournament’s surprise package Spain 3-1 in Deodoro.
First quarter goals from Georgie Twigg and Helen Richardson-Walsh set them on their way before Lily Owsley made it 3-0 with just 22 minutes gone. Gigi Oliva got one back in the last ten minutes but GB were good value for their win and look forward to a semi-final date with New Zealand.
Speaking about the performance, Owsley said: “I thought we dealt with them well. We solved the problems they presented to us and we got on the scoreboard pretty early which is always a really big thing in massive games like this. It really sets the momentum.
“We’re not stopping now. It’s on to the next game. We’re going to recover the same way, prepare the same way and we’re going to make sure we get that semi-final win in two days.”
It continues a remarkable year for Owsley in which she helped England win the European Championships in London before being named the FIH Rising Star of the Year.
And she would like to add one more award to that ever-growing list.
“I guess I have had a brilliant kind of individual year; if you put it like that! But this is the pinnacle and this is everything and everything that comes before this is just a nice stepping stone.
“This is what means everything to me and the year would not be capped and it would not be topped off if we don’t go on to succeed in this tournament.”